


A Future, Found (in the Past)

by Cyanocitta20



Series: (You are My) Past, Present, and Future [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, M/M, Slash, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:10:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26030119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyanocitta20/pseuds/Cyanocitta20
Summary: Eyes twinkling knowingly, Albus answered, “But that isn’t true, is it, my boy? Can you really tell me that you and I have never been close friends? Ever?”Harry stiffened in his seat, his heart pounding wildly. It wasn’t possible, he couldn’t possibly know where Harry came from. Surely, Albus meant something else?Years after graduating Hogwarts, Harry is owled by his former Professor, who asks to see him. Despite his confusion, Harry agrees to the meeting.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle
Series: (You are My) Past, Present, and Future [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1889494
Comments: 6
Kudos: 191





	A Future, Found (in the Past)

Harry Potter raced down the stairs and towards the door, stopping only for a second to kiss his husband on the cheek before continuing on his way out.

“I’ll be home for dinner. I love you, bye!” He called out, just barely hearing the ‘I love you, too’ in return. Reaching an apparation point, Harry apparated away to Hogwarts. He rushed into the Headmaster’s office, where an elderly man sat awaiting him.

“Sorry I’m late, Professor!” Harry said as he slid into the empty seat opposite the other man. “Or is it Headmaster now?”

The newly appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry merely chuckled softly, his blue eyes twinkling that particular way that no one else could ever imitate.

“There’s no need to apologize, my dear. And I am no longer your Professor nor your Headmaster, Harry. Surely _you_ , of all people have earned the right to call me by my given name, don’t you think?”

Harry blinked in surprise, a little taken aback by the offer. After all, he and Albus Dumbledore- well, _this_ one, anyway- had never been very close when he attended Hogwarts as a student. Even if the professor had been the first person to find him when he first arrived. As a matter of fact, Harry had been utterly confused when his former professor had owled him to ask if they could meet today.

“Oh.. Well okay sir- uh sorry, Albus.” He smiled a little awkwardly. “May I ask why you wanted to see me?” Unable to come up with any other reason for the headmaster to contact him, Harry had assumed that there might be a job opening at Hogwarts. However it certainly didn’t seem like that was the case here. 

Instead of answering the question, Albus only smiled brightly back at him. “Let’s talk over some tea, shall we? We have a lot to discuss.”

Now completely mystified, Harry agreed and soon found himself sitting comfortably with a cup of tea in his hands. When Albus showed no interest in breaking the silence that had fallen upon them, Harry decided to ask again.

“So.. Uh, Albus, what did you wish to speak to me about?”

“Tell me, Harry, how is your husband doing? You are married now, aren’t you?” Once again, the headmaster did not give him a direct answer. Harry frowned a little, still confused.

“Yes, we married last year. He’s extremely busy these days- after all, he is next in line for becoming Minister for Magic.” he answered carefully, unsure where Albus was going with this. He stared down at his cup. “I hope you will forgive me for being so forward, Albus, but I must ask why you are interested in him. In us. I know you’ve never liked him much,” and wasn’t _that_ an understatement, “and I wasn’t exactly your favorite student either.”

He looked up cautiously, hoping the headmaster wasn’t angry at his questioning. To his surprise, Albus was still smiling at him, although it was a softer, _fonder_ , smile than before. Harry froze for a second, looking at that smile and remembering something from what felt like a lifetime ago. Another Dumbledore, one with which he had a much closer relationship with, who had smiled at him so often with that same grandfatherly look in his eyes. He blinked and shook his head quickly. It wouldn’t do to think of a past that would never, could never, be again, especially not in front of Albus Dumbledore. He could not go back, he knew this. Besides, life here was better than he had ever hoped for when he had first arrived.

Eyes twinkling knowingly, Albus answered, “But that isn’t true, is it, my boy? Can you really tell me that you and I have never been close friends? Ever?”

Harry stiffened in his seat, his heart pounding wildly. It wasn’t possible, he couldn’t possibly know where Harry came from. Surely, Albus meant something else?

“I.. don’t know what you mean, sir. Albus. We’ve never-“ The rest of the sentence was cut off abruptly. _‘We’ve barely ever talked outside of class. Or even in classes, actually.’_ That was what he meant to say, only he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Couldn’t make himself lie to his once-upon-a-time mentor and friend, the one who he had seen die with his own eyes, even if he knew that the person in front of him wasn’t quite the same person. Harry sighed, annoyed at his inability to betray those he cared for, even years later.

“Harry.” Albus’s tone was just a little sharper, a little more intense. Harry looked up- and just when had he started staring down at his figeting hands again?- and his green eyes met the blue ones across from him.

“Harry,” Albus started again, “Please don’t lie to me. I may not know everything, I won’t unless you choose to tell me, but I do know enough to realize that you are from somewhere, perhaps some _time_ else. Your reactions to certain people and situations, your knowledge about things you shouldn’t know, some of your possessions I’ve seen... It was enough for me to guess, just a little.”

Harry breathed in sharply, and slowly let the air out. He debated the pros and cons of telling the truth, which only he and his husband-he wouldn’t keep something this major from him-knew. Albus waited patiently until Harry opened his mouth to speak.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “I’m not supposed to be here. I can’t.. I can’t tell you everything, not now, but I can tell you that much. Please, no one knows this except myself and my husband, you can’t tell anyone-“

“And I won’t. I’ve known this for quite a while, my dear. You have no reason to worry. I didn’t confront you before because I believed you did not need or want my help. I merely wished to tell you now and see if you would be amendable to becoming friends with an old man once again?”

And Harry finally relaxed a little. “I’d like that, Albus. I suppose you have some questions though?”

The headmaster laughed lightly. “Indeed, you must know me quite well. I do have questions, but most of them can be adressed at a later date, perhaps when you would be less uncomfortable speaking to me. Although, if I am not overstepping my boundaries, I may ask about your husband?”

Harry bit his lip, knowing what the headmaster was asking, but unsure how to answer. How could he explain Voldemort, Tom, and their complicated relationship? How could he make Albus understand when even he, Harry, couldn’t completely comprehend it either? Albus had always been a little biased about Tom, after all. Would he understand that Tom was caring and kind, at least to Harry?

“He, a version of him, did things, where I came from, that I’d honestly rather not talk about. But this Tom, he isn’t him. He isn’t. He’s changed, and I.. love him. And he loves me. That’s all there is.” He winced a little, as if expecting to be reprimanded for loving someone who was, supposedly, cruel and harsh. _But_ , Harry thought, a little viciously, _Tom is no longer Voldemort, is he? No matter how Albus reacts to this, to_ us, _Tom is different, and that is all that matters to me._

Despite Harry’s worries, however, Albus only answered softly, “Well then, it’s a good thing for all of us that you came here, isn’t it?” And then promptly changed the subject to the question of which team would win the Quidditch World Cup.

The two men continued talking for a long while about various topics, one of them excited to finally get to know his former (or future) pupil, and the other glad for the chance to reconnect with someone he had always looked up to.

As dinnertime approached, Harry finally stood up, thanking Albus for inviting him today and promising to come back again in the near future.

As he left the room, Albus called out, “Harry,” 

Harry turned around.

“I understand that you’ve been through a lot. It must still be hard for you, giving up your past, but know that you have a happy, bright future ahead of you now. And that though there’s still a lot I am unaware of, I’m extremely proud of you, my boy.”

Harry simply smiled back, nodded his thanks, and left the Headmaster’s office.

Feeling a little lighter after the talk, and also comforted by the fact that he now had one more person he could freely discuss things with, Harry left Hogwarts and apparated back home. Entering the front door, he immediately searched for Tom, who was going through a stack of paperwork in his office.

“I’m home!” He exclaimed cheerfully, kissing his husband briefly. “What do you want for dinner?”

* * *

Later that night, lying in bed with his lover already asleep beside him, Harry thought back to the headmaster’s parting words. _A happy future. With Tom. Who would ever have guessed?_ He smiled contentedly, hugged his husband just a bit closer, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> *peeks out from behind a door* Hi?  
> This is the first fic I’ve ever written so I hope it’s okay!  
> I never thought I’d do this but the Tomarry time travel trope is one of my favorites and it wouldn’t leave me alone so here you go :)  
> I was thinking of making this a series of oneshots so I might explain more on Albus’s thoughts, the Tomarry relationship, or Harry’s arrival in the past sometime in the future. I want to know what you all think about that though, so please tell me if you have any suggestions!  
> And thank you for reading!


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